Wheeled suitcase



March 4, 1947. HENDRICK 2,416,752

WHEELED SUITCASE Filed July 20, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

ATTD R N EYS Patented Mar. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEELED SUITCASE John M. Hendrick, Burbank, Calif.

Application July 20, 1945, Serial No. 606,112

2 Claims,

My present invention, in its broad aspect, has reference to improvements in wheeled traction means incorporated in the conventional construction of hand luggage, such as various types of suitcases, for moving the hand luggage about without the necessity of bodily lifting the hand luggage, or utilizing transporting devices, such as trucks and the like. More particularly, it is my purpose to provide a pair of spaced resilient tired wheels at the rear bottom edge of a suitcase, or other type of hand luggage, and so positioned and centered as to give a stable properly balanced support to the suitcase, or other pieces of hand luggage, when the same is tilted upwardly from the rear end to the front end, and to provide a properly balanced and extensible handle at the front top edge of the suitcase, or other form of hand luggage, for raising the front end to brin the traction wheels in engagement with the ground to support the suitcase, and pulling the suitcase along on the traction wheels in a tilted position, thereby greatly reducing the labor and exertion necessary to transport the same. My device may be applied to any type of hand luggage, although it is desirable, especially with collapsible or soft hand luggage, to reinforce the bottom and back to prevent sagging under the load when the same is tilted and moved. I therefore provide a unique and improved reinforcement and stiffening device which I have found it desirable to apply to many but not necessarily all forms of hand luggage in which my invention is incorporated.

In addition to the foregoing, the means of mounting my traction wheel and my handle is novel and unique, and my device does not, in any way, detract from or require modification of the conventional hand luggage construction, and it may be applied to all types with equal facility. Furthermore, the positioning of the traction wheels and the form and shape of the handle and support are such as to attain the maximum leverage, whereby to lessen the load to the greatest degree. d

Other and equally important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing, and it is pointed out that changes in form, size, shape, materials, and construction and arrangement of parts are permissible and within the purview of my broad inventive concept and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention- Figure 1 is a side view.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, and

Figure 3 is an end view.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views- The numeral l designates a suitcase of the socalled airplane-type class of luggage which has a stiff, relatively deep body 2, and a shallow, stiff top 3, latched to the body as at 4 and having the usual carrying handle 5. Thi type of suitcase has been used for purposes of illustration and not as a limitation on the type of hand luggage with which my device is adapted to be used. It is preferable, and very desirable in the case of collapsible or soft luggage, to use reinforcing and stiffening means along the bottom of the luggage sides and also up the back end of the luggage. My reinforcing and stiffening means includes a horizontal bar 6 built into each side I of the suitcase, and having a vertical end bar 8 lying. fiat against each side of the end and built into the structure thereof whereby any tendency of the luggage to buckle or sag is eliminated.

*Each horizontal bar 6 and its vertical end bar 8 together constitute a single integral member.

Attached by rivets 9 or the like adjacent the bottom of the rear end of the suitcase and near each side are a pair of bifurcated brackets In, between the arms I I of each of which is journaled on a pin l2, a resiliently tired wheel or roller l3. When the suitcase rests on its bottom, the rollers are slightly out of'engagement with the ground as shown in Figure-1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rivets 9 of each bracket extend through the vertical end bars 8. The wheels are spaced as far as possible apart to give the suitcase the maximum stable support when tilted. Attached symmetrically or almost so with respect to the foreand-aft center line of the suitcase top H and near the front edge l5 of the suitcase are a pair of straight elongated brackets I 6 each of which has a preferably cylindrical bore extending its full length and is formed with foot flanges I! to be attached side by side with the other such bracket through the top I4 and plate l8 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The plate I8 is a reinforcing and stiffening means which serves the same purpose in the upper forward portion of the suitcase body that the horizontal bars 6 and vertical end bars 8 serve in the lower rear portion. The traction handle H! has a pair of legs 20 of circular cross-section which fit snugly within the cylindrical bore of each bracket l6 respectively and are slidable therein. Each leg 20 has an end head 20a which acts as a stop, preventing removal of wardly as at 22 to the cross piece 23 of the handle to reduce bending over to grasp and hold the handle. The legs 20 and all other parts havin movable contact are preferably formed of rustproofed metal or other non-corrosive material to insure smooth operation.

In operation, the handle is grasped and the legs are pulled through the brackets to their forwardmost position to increase leverage and to eliminate the necessity of stooping over to hold the suitcase tilted at the most desirable angle, and the handle is pulled upward to tilt the suitcase upwardly to contact the traction wheels with the ground to transport the same. The suitcase is then pulled from place to place with extreme ease. As shown, my device in no way detracts from the conventional structure of the suitcase and proper balance is maintained withthe maximum leverage. In the case of luggage having a deeper top it is sometimes necessary to offset the traction handle slightly sideways or use a handle with only a single leg so as not to interfere with the normal opening or closing of the luggage, but

' in all cases, my device is so positioned and formed as not to interfere with said normal opening or closing or with the transportation of the luggage in the conventional manner when desired. It a single leg is used, it and the containing bracket should both have a non-circular cross-section,

. such as a rectangular one, to insure torsional control through the handle whereby tipping over of the suitcase, as from a blow or collision, can be 35 checked.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation and advantages of my invention will be apparent, but it is again emphasized that interpretation of the scope of my invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wheeled traction device for luggage, comprising a pair of spaced resilient wheels mounted adjacent the back, bottom, end edge of the piece of luggage and extending out from\the .back slightly spaced from the ground when the luggage rests on its bottom and positioned to give balanced support to the luggage when the front end of said luggage is lifted up to an angled position, an extensible handle and fixed attaching means for supporting the handle, said handle having spaced legs, slidably mounted in elongated brackets on top of the luggage, said legs having enlarged ends to prevent detachment from the brackets and the legs are curved upwardly and have a cross piece on which is mounted a cushioned grip, said handle being mounted adjacent the top front edge of the luggage and positioned between the side walls to balance the load. 1

2. The invention as in claim 1 wherein bifurcated supporting brackets are provided for mounting the wheels on said luggage.

JOHN M. HENDRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 362,868 Roberts May 10, 1887 1,028,178 Batchelor June 4, 1912 1,559,044 Frothingham Sept. '7, 1926 782,047 Pearson Feb. 7, 1905 2,375,338 Alexander May 8, 1945 1,413,852 Hokkanen .L Apr. 25, 1922 

